In a time when urban and suburban areas are spreading rapidly and wild spaces are quickly disappearing, parks and other greenspaces are increasingly important to the vitality of our communities. At the most basic level, healthy parks mean healthy people and healthy communities. At the core of a healthy environment are pollinators—animals that move pollen among flowers, thus ensuring that the plants can form seeds and fruits.

Unfortunately, pollinators, like all wildlife, are suffering as landscapes change and habitats are broken up or lost. The National Academy of Sciences report (NRC 2006), identified habitat loss and degradation as two causes of pollinator decline, and emphasized the value of land managers adopting pollinator-friendly practices. One of the encouraging aspects of pollinator conservation is the ease with which it can be adapted to different sites. To get started, we recommend a three-step approach.

• Recognize the native pollinators and their habitat that are already in your park
• Adjust existing land management practices to avoid causing undue harm to the bees already present
• Enhance, restore, or create habitat for native bees and butterflies

Once formal landscapes designed for relaxation, parks now encompass everything from intensively managed sports fields to natural areas managed primarily for wildlife. Hand in hand with the changing character of parks are the changing expectations for what parks should provide. Parks and other greenspaces—even fragments of habitat in urban areas—can offer important habitat for wild pollinators.